Vulnerability · Published Mar 31, 2025 · Assigned by Linux

CVE-2025-21893keys: Fix UAF in key_put()

High 7.8

In plain English

A high-severity use-after-free in Linux from Linux. There are no confirmed reports of exploitation so far. The chance it is exploited in the next 30 days is estimated at 0.2% (higher than 10% of all known vulnerabilities). Fixed versions are available - upgrade the affected package.

Severity (CVSS 3.1)7.8High
Exploit odds (30 days)0.2%top 90.0% of all CVEs
Exploited in the wildNo reportsCISA SSVC: none
Attack toolingNoneno public tooling known

Official description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: keys: Fix UAF in key_put() Once a key's reference count has been reduced to 0, the garbage collector thread may destroy it at any time and so key_put() is not allowed to touch the key after that point. The most key_put() is normally allowed to do is to touch key_gc_work as that's a static global variable. However, in an effort to speed up the reclamation of quota, this is now done in key_put() once the key's usage is reduced to 0 - but now the code is looking at the key after the deadline, which is forbidden. Fix this by using a flag to indicate that a key can be gc'd now rather than looking at the key's refcount in the garbage collector.

Affected packages & fixed versions

EcosystemPackageFixed inAdvisory
Debian:13linux6.12.21-1DEBIAN-CVE-2025-21893
Debian:14linux6.12.21-1DEBIAN-CVE-2025-21893
Rocky Linux:10kernel0:6.12.0-55.17.1.el10_0RLSA-2025:9079
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-allwinner-5.19no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-21893
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-aws-5.19no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-21893
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-aws-6.2no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-21893
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-aws-6.5no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-21893
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-azure-5.19no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-21893
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-azure-6.116.11.0-1018.18~24.04.1USN-7628-1
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-azure-6.116.11.0-1018.18~24.04.1UBUNTU-CVE-2025-21893
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-azure-6.2no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-21893
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-azure-6.5no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-21893
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-azure-fde-5.19no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-21893
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-azure-fde-6.2no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-21893
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-gcp-5.19no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-21893
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-gcp-6.116.11.0-1016.16~24.04.1USN-7605-1
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-gcp-6.116.11.0-1016.16~24.04.1UBUNTU-CVE-2025-21893
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-gcp-6.2no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-21893
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-gcp-6.5no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-21893
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-hwe-5.19no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-21893
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-hwe-6.116.11.0-28.28~24.04.1USN-7605-1
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-hwe-6.116.11.0-28.28~24.04.1UBUNTU-CVE-2025-21893
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-hwe-6.2no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-21893
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-hwe-6.5no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-21893
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-intel-iot-realtimeno fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-21893
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-lowlatency-hwe-5.19no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-21893
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-lowlatency-hwe-6.116.11.0-1015.16~24.04.2UBUNTU-CVE-2025-21893
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-lowlatency-hwe-6.116.11.0-1015.16~24.04.2USN-7605-2
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-lowlatency-hwe-6.2no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-21893
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-lowlatency-hwe-6.5no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-21893
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-nvidia-6.116.11.0-1012.12UBUNTU-CVE-2025-21893
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-nvidia-6.2no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-21893
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-nvidia-6.5no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-21893
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-oem-5.17no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-21893
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-oem-6.0no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-21893
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-oem-6.1no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-21893
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-oem-6.116.11.0-1024.24USN-7606-1
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-oem-6.116.11.0-1024.24UBUNTU-CVE-2025-21893
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-oem-6.5no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-21893
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-oracle-6.5no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-21893
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-raspi-realtimeno fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-21893
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-realtimeno fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-21893
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-realtimeno fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-21893
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-riscvno fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-21893
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-riscv-5.19no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-21893
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-riscv-6.5no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-21893
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-starfive-5.19no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-21893
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-starfive-6.2no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-21893
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-starfive-6.5no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-21893

Affected products (as reported)

VendorProductVersions
Linux Linux 9578e327b2b4935a25d49e3891b8fcca9b6c10c6 – before 6afe2ea2daec156bd94ad2c5a6f4f4c48240dcd39578e327b2b4935a25d49e3891b8fcca9b6c10c6 – before f6a3cf833188e897c97028cd7b926e3f2cb1a8c09578e327b2b4935a25d49e3891b8fcca9b6c10c6 – before 75845c6c1a64483e9985302793dbf0dfa5f71e32
Linux Linux 6.10

Weakness: CWE-416 · Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

References